Okay, this is starting to freak me out. Tristan has taken to staring at the ceiling in the living room, pacing, and staring, and meowing, and more staring. Trevor says that cats can hear higher frequencies than we can, and maybe he's hearing something like mice. But I feel like I could hear that too if that were the case...? Ghosts aren't real, and all google questions on this lead to people saying, "It's a ghost!" No, it's not. But what the hell is it?

He is trying to freak you out by convincing you there are ghosts. Seriously though.... I didn't believe in ghosts until I started nursing and worked night shifts.

I brought the fur ball for a 40min drive to a pet shop that does a dog walk every week. We haven't been in a couple of months, maybe early October was the last time. It is amazing how after all that time the dogs all recognise each other. One of her boyfriends was there so she enjoyed a good playtime and after the walk got some smooching time. Also treated her to a new collar since I had a bit of extra cash left from this pay check so her nasty leather one is now gone! Just need to work on replacing the leash now. All the chain leashes there had leather in them on the handgrip part and the others that were strong enough were the noose type ones with are useless because I need something that hooks on to the halti so she doesn't pull me.

I don't even know what to do with my dog. Her energy level is absurdly high for a rough collie. She is bouncing off the walls. She wants to play 24/7 with my dad's shepherd, who is almost 10 and has bad hips and isn't up for wrestling. Tegan will fly at him, bite his face and his neck, lunge at his legs, rear up on her hind legs and crash down on him with her front paws... I have to constantly intervene because I'm afraid she'll hurt him. Basko won't tell her off or anything. He just stands there with his head down looking miserable as she mauls him. I need to find her a playmate who will run and play with her, but put her in her place when she gets too obnoxious.

RC.... if only I lived near you! Her and Lexi seem like they would be a match made in heaven. Lexi does the bouncing off walls thing and it drives me mental. Thanks to the dog walk today I've had a well behaved dog. I think it is purely down to the fact that she got to rough house play with another dog.

Yes, it seems like they both have the same energy level! I found the addresses of a few dog parks and I'm going to check them out to see if Tegan would enjoy any of them. There are no places in town where you can let a dog run off leash, and she isn't trained enough yet that I'd trust her off leash anyway, so I need to find a park that's fenced in. I just wish there was one nearby. All the ones I have found are 20-30 minutes away by car.

Sometimes it is worth the drive. The dog walk for us is a 40min drive each way but oh so worth it. I'm so lucky where I live that we are surrounded by forest walks. I used to leave her off the leash a lot but she is going through a spell of not coming back to me so I put on one of those extendable leashes. It's long enough that if I kick a stone she still has room to run after it and she has enough length to be able to have a sniff around.

My mother and I took Tegan to a dog park today. It was okay until this asswipe of a dog "trainer" showed up. He had a dog on a long line connected to a pinch collar, and the dog also had on an electric shock collar. There was a big sign right on the entrance gate saying "No choke or pinch/prong collars allowed in the park. Remove your dog's leash after entering the park" but he completely ignored that. He was walking the dog around and shocking the hell out of it whenever it barked at the other dogs. At one point, he dropped the leash, and the dog ran over and plowed into two other dogs and started a fight. The people who belonged to the other dogs ran over and tried to break up the fight while the trainer stood on the other side of the field, not moving, and continued using the collar's remote to shock the dog. It made me SO angry. My mother and I got up in his face and told him he couldn't do that in the park. (It was our first time there, but we weren't going to stand there and let some douchebag abuse a dog and cause dog fights!) The guy left shortly after that. He didn't even check and ask if the other dogs were alright. Ugh, I hate people.

Tegan was very nervous at first and was afraid going into the park. After we got in, she stuck to us like glue and wouldn't go off to meet any of the other dogs. But then she saw a 5 month old collie, and it was weird, like she knew he was the same breed as her (maybe he reminded her of her siblings when she was a puppy?), so she ran over to him and followed him around for a while. That was the only dog she really interacted with, but she did walk around and look at everything, and we practiced her recalls and she came every single time! We were very proud of her, because that was definitely a high distraction environment.

My husband and I cheered as my cat (miss constipation) left a large pile of poo on top of the litter yesterday. She tends not to cover her stuff (the other cat does) so we know it is her. I've started increasing her wet food consumption as well as giving her canned pumpkin.

_________________You are all a disgrace to vegans. Go f*ck yourselves, especially linanil.

My husband and I cheered as my cat (miss constipation) left a large pile of poo on top of the litter yesterday. She tends not to cover her stuff (the other cat does) so we know it is her. I've started increasing her wet food consumption as well as giving her canned pumpkin.

Hooray for poo!

Tegan had to get her rabies shot yesterday, and I was so nervous! Even though I see animals getting vaccinated all the time. I kept thinking back to the terrible reaction Sable had to her vaccines. But Tegan seems okay so far, and she got a 3 year shot, so I don't have to worry about it again until 2016. I will probably just do a titre then and if her immunity is good I won't revaccinate. Sable's titres always came back with really high immunity, even though she hadn't been vaccinated in years.

I'm going on a trip to California on Monday (yay!) but I'm so anxious and worried about leaving my kitties behind for 9 days. I have a cat sitter coming to check on them, and she seems great, I'm just so worried that they will be sad and lonely.

_________________I like my bagels like I like my men - big and covered with earth balance & nooch. - Bunniee

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:51 amPosts: 8123Location: United States of New England

Anyone want my reactive dog? He’s driving me cuckoo bananas. I love him more than anything in the world but he’s driving me nuts. We had to take him to the vet last night to get some bloodwork done. He’s on meds for his reactivity and the behavioral vet wanted a blood panel done since it’s been about a year. The last couple times we’ve had to bring him to the vet I took their very last appt of the day in order to ensure there would be no other dogs there but then we were at the vet til like 8:30pm.

Since this was just bloodwork I thought it would be quick and easy and in and out. We got there and I went in to ask if there were any other pooches there and they said they had 2 large dogs already in the rooms so my husband waited in the car with Willy and I waited inside to see when the dogs checked out (because yes both of us need to go with this dog, it’s just easier). So we had to sit around and wait for quite awhile. Then when the 2 big dogs left of course they walked right by my car and Willy just went absolutely apeshit bonkers and of course they were looking at us like “what the fizzle is wrong with your dog”So by the time we brought him inside he was already flying high and completely worked up. Just waaay overstimulated. So they brought him in the back to take his blood. The vet we go to is an exotics vet because I had my guinea pigs first and they need to go to an exotics vet. Apparently they board small animals from time to time and they had 2 cockatiels in the back and when Willy saw them he was just like what the fizzle IS THAT?!?!?!?

When he freaks out on something he makes a noise that we call a “turkey gobble” it’s weird. He doesn’t necessarily bark or lunge or growl he makes this weird wacky noise that is completely over the top. So we heard like a mini turkey gobble as we were sitting there in the waiting room. I looked at my husband and I was like “he doesn’t ever make that noise here?!?! what is going on?” he almost sounded like he was in pain/scared which is weird for him, he’s not fearful of the vet. And I could hear the techs laughing and calling his name and trying to get his attention. Apparently he had spotted the birds and went a little bonkers. They were totally cool with it though. They were laughing and wanted to give him a cookie and were like “oh he’s definitely a bird dog”

I just get worked up at what COULD have happened. It was just a stressful vet outing. And then the blood panel cost us TWO HUNDRED TWENTY DOLLARS! Which I was not prepared for. I was thinking maybe $75. Ugh………………..

Sounds like a pretty expensive bp, unless they ran a basic and an additional for something particularly specialized. At my vet the general full panel is about $100.

That is a pretty stressful visit, but I've seen/heard of ones a trillion times worse, so don't worry! It's nearly impossible to book these things to get them to work out perfectly but you could always book his next appt so that he goes in after a cat? Cats are usually in a carrier so might be less stimulating for him?

There are 4 vets at the clinic I go to but Tungsten can only see one of them as the others (male) make him too reactive. I'll be screwed if Dr Smith retires in his lifetime!

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:51 amPosts: 8123Location: United States of New England

Moon,the behavioral vet requested a CBC, chem profile, and T4.i dont know what any of that means but i told the regular vet and i heard them talking about it while we were waiting and they were like "oh that is just a total wellness profile" or something like that.

the blood profile was $200, $15 for tech appt, and like $1 for needle disposal and tax.

we have a pretty high cost of living in MA but DANG!!!! it's also an exotics vet so sometimes i wonder if they are a tad more expensive even though a dog blood profile is not exotic.

and yeah the visit was stressful but no where near what it COULD have been. normally he is so good there. he's not fearful (unlike my other dog is is TERRIFIED of the vet) so usually when they take him in the back for blood or vaccines or whatever he is super good but he was totally worked up and then he saw 2 strange animals.

hahaha. poor guy.like i said lately ive been asking for their very last appt of the day so there are no surprise dogs but i really thought for bloodwork we would be in and out.

ah well.he's sitting here poking at my left hand while im trying to type cause he wants to go for a walk ;-)

Frisbee was such a champ on our move. We were so worried he'd freak out in the car but he was a perfect kitty. The first few days he chilled on the floor and then after that just laid on his blanket or on the arm rest between the front seats. We had to board him a few days when we got into town and I felt horrible about it. So we signed a lease really fast just so we could bring him home. He loves our apartment because he can still sit in the window. He's been so very helpful with unpacking. *snort*

I'm excited guys... One of my dogs has shunned veggies and sweet potatoes and whatever for so long. We used to say she wouldn't eat anything green or orange. We've been giving her these sweet potato/oatmeal cookie things that she seems to like but the other day, I swear she was eating some pumpkin I had given our other dog (who loves veggies with a passion). So this morning, I gave both of them canned pumpkin and she ate it all!

_________________You are all a disgrace to vegans. Go f*ck yourselves, especially linanil.

Does anyone want some small Ami dog bones? These: http://store.veganessentials.com/ami-bone-chew-treats-for-dogs-p2245.aspxI ordered a couple a while ago to try on my dog, and he seemed to like them, so I thought I'd be smart and stock up to save on shipping. Well now he apparently has decided he doesn't care for them, and I'm stuck with TEN of them!! So if anyone here thinks their dog would like them, pm me your address and I'll be glad to send them on to a doggie who'll appreciate them more than my little brat!

I'm going on a trip to California on Monday (yay!) but I'm so anxious and worried about leaving my kitties behind for 9 days. I have a cat sitter coming to check on them, and she seems great, I'm just so worried that they will be sad and lonely.

I know how you feel! I'm going on a trip soon too and had to find a new catsitter. But Loulou has been so clingy with me lately, I hope she doesn't get stressed out too badly. And I hope she comes out from under the bed to eat before the other two eat her food.

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:51 amPosts: 8123Location: United States of New England

So both my dogs are adults, bordering on senior. House training has never been an issue. they were both adopted as adults. They don’t pee/poop in my house.

So my baby shower is tomorrow and my in laws are staying with us this weekend. We no longer have a guestroom because it’s now a nursery so they have to sleep in our (finished) basement which is sometimes where the dog’s hangout.

So im leaving this morning and I see a giant yellow circle on the carpet we just vacuumed in the room we just cleaned for our weekend guests. I was like what the fizzle?!?!? I go over and stick my finger in it to see if it’s new (there are some stains down there from dogs getting sick). And it’s definitely fresh and it’s definitely pee.

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:51 amPosts: 8123Location: United States of New England

so apparently according to my husband he did not pee on their walk like normal. then since i had a drs appt at 9:45 i didnt go to work in the AM like normal and my husband didnt let them out before he left for work like normal.

i didnt let them out when i got up because i figured they had peed on their walk. after i got out of the shower i wanted to let them out cause my husband said Willy hadnt pooped so i wanted to make sure he did that and he was missing and wouldnt come when called (VERY STRANGE for him) so finally he came upstairs from downstairs.

so i guess he was peeing on the floor.

it had been since like 10pm the night before since he had peed.felt really bad and he doesnt have like a behavior to tell us he has to pee. the other dog goes and sits by the door.

Nacho was such a good boy on his walk today [with his friend the "bad boy"] and we let them off to swim in the lake. Wouldn't you know he bolted out of the water and immediately got into a horse race with Mr Bad and neck and neck the two of them plowed face first into the legs of a stunned jogger. Ugh, I feel so terrible.

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:51 amPosts: 8123Location: United States of New England

*sigh* all my pets are nut jobs.today im mildly worried about one of my guinea pigs.

yesterday i was scooping beans out of the cage and jabbering at them like normal. ive had all three of them for 2+ years at least, 2 of them for 4+ years. so they are all pretty tame to my presence and the daily goings on.but i was scooping beans and something spooked her and she just wigged the fork out. she like jumped and then hit something and spooked herself more than ran around and was flipping around like a bucking bronco and freaking out.i have NO IDEA what started it other than she spooked herself somehow.then she wouldnt move. she just sat in one spot, out in the open just wall eyed.so i poked her a couple times to make sure she *could* move and she kinda tweaked out again and hopped around scared. so i just left her alone.

she just sat in the same spot out in the open (which is weird for a scared guinea pig, their instinct is to hide).THREE HOURS LATER i come home from doggie class and she's still in the same damn spot not moving.so i picked her up and i felt both her hind legs. i had seen her stretch out on her front legs tentatively towards a hidey hut like maybe she wanted to go there so i figured her front legs were ok.she didnt squeak when i felt her legs. nothing felt broken. i took each one and rotating them around and again no squeaking or painful noises.i put her on the floor to see if she would walk for me and eventually she did. no limping but she seemed scared.

so i put her back in the cage on the opposite end of where she had been sitting for like 4 hours straight and eventually she gravitated back to that spot. and sat there.......

later we cleaned out the cage and changed the fleece and i saw her move around more but she still seems to like be spooked.after we changed the fleece she finally moved from that one spot but now she keeps hiding in the back corner in a hidey spot. last night when i refreshed their hay she came out and ate a ton probably cause she had been hiding for hours with no food :-Pthis morning she was back hiding and not coming out so i put some hay in the hidey spot.

i dont know what her deal is. i think she saw some guinea pig ghosts or something.